NSPA met DG Agri to discuss further cooperation
The representatives of the NSPA met Mike MacKenzie, Economic Analyst at DG Agri at the European Commission. At the meeting, the NSPA presented the results of the OECD-study and its policy recommendations and discussed further cooperation with the European Commission on how to implement them.
On the 11th of May the representatives of the NSPA held a meeting with Mike MacKenzie, Economic Analyst at Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission. The aim of the meeting was to inform the European Commission about the study that the OECD carried out on the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas and its policy recommendations to the region. Concerning this study, there are many common areas of interest that are relevant both for the NSPA and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, promoted by the Commission. Mike MacKenzie specialises in his work on this part of the comprehensive Common Agricultural Policy, which made the discussion fruitful and productive.
The NSPA revealed and defined the biggest challenges that the northernmost European regions face. It was pointed out that the OECD policy recommendations address first and foremost the issues of the transport infrastructure, smart specialisation and regional cooperation. The NSPA discussed these issues with Mike MacKenzie, who recognized the uniqueness of this "Territorial Review". All the participants succeeded in defining common areas of interests and common challenges, such as tools for impact assessment, problem of complementarity of funding sources and the broadband connection in the remoted rural areas. The meeting created a foundation for continued work.